been there all along
by demikatherineplumber
Summary: 'We need to talk.' Four words. Four incredibly distressing, anxiety-inducing words. Four words that never mean good things are going to be said.
**[kath ]: We need to talk.
[Jack]: wut do u mean?  
[Jack]: katherine**  
 **[Jack]: kath pls**  
 **[Jack]: u cant just say that kath PLS**  
 **[kath ]: Can't really talk now, in class, meet me for coffee after school?**  
 **[Jack]: yah sure i guess**

'We need to talk.' Four words. Four incredibly distressing, anxiety-inducing words that his girlfriend should really know better than to use with him, especially when they really wouldn't _get_ to talk for a few hours. Four words that **never** mean good things are going to be said.  
Rationally, Jack knows that nothing's horribly wrong, that she's not dying, she's not breaking up with him, nothing like that, but still, he's never been the most rational thinker. He just can't shake the feeling that her text means something very, very bad.

* * *

"One large chai latte and one large peppermint mocha, please."

He still can't figure out what the hell Katherine needs to talk to him about but at least he's sure of their order and of the fact that no matter what, she's always a little bit late, always carrying far too much shit. Little things. Little but important things.

A kiss on the cheek takes him by surprise, no one greets him like that but-

"Hey sweetheart, thank you for ordering already."

Huh. It usually takes Katherine a good ten minutes to even get out the parking lot after school, much less get to the coffee shop, and it's far too early for her to be here.

"Sorry to have messaged you out of the blue like that," Katherine says, "I just needed to make sure we could meet up. I didn't worry you too much, did I?"

"Nah, it's fine." Maybe she'll believe him, as long as she doesn't look at his nails, bitten to stubs in his anxiety. "What do we need to talk about?"

She pauses before replying. "Maybe we should find a seat first, okay?"

"I- okay, yeah, let's sit."

As they make their way to their usual corner table, Jack's mind runs wild with all the things she may want to talk about. She's dropping out of school, she has cancer, she's dumpi-

"Jack, honey, I'm sorry to just throw this on you, but I just- I think- fuck, why is this so hard? Dammit, I'm just gonna say it. I think you're more in love with Charlie than you are with me."  
...What? "Kath, what the-"

"Hear me out," she interrupts, "just listen. I mean, I know you love me, I don't doubt it, but you just. You and Crutchie just _click_ and you have this _bond_ and you have to admit, you spend way more time with him than with me."

"Yeah, I mean, he's my best friend, of course I spend a lot of time with him!"

"I get that, that's not what I'm saying. Okay, how many dates have you cancelled because he wasn't feeling well?"

"I don't-"

"How many times have you missed my calls because he's asleep on you or some shit like that and you don't want to wake him up?"

"That's not- I don't- I'm not- fuck. _Fuck_."

"Yeah. Fuck."

Jack drops his head on the table. "Holy shit, what do I _do_? I don't want to mess things up, y'know? What the fuck do I do?"

Petting his hair, Katherine smiles. "Okay, what did you do to let me know you liked me?"

"I drew you."

"Yes, you drew me, and?"

"And I asked you out."

"And you asked me out. Come on, dear, if that worked on _me_ , why the hell are you so worried about doing that with Crutchie?"

He lifts his head, looking warily at his… girlfriend? Ex-girlfriend? Whatever the fuck she is now. "Because it's not like I had anything to lose with you, y'know? You were just some gorgeous stranger, but he's my best friend, I don't know what I'd do with myself if I lost him."

"I know, baby, I know. **You** know that I'm not really fond of dating someone who really wants to be with someone else, right?"

"Yeah. I know. You're breaking up with me, aren't you?"

She smiles bitterly, responding, "yeah, sweetheart, I am. I'm sorry, but it's for the best. Just- just promise you won't fuck this up. Go after your man, okay?"

He agrees, internally panicking. Oh fuck, his girlfriend dumped him, he likes his best friend, and his girlfriend _realized_ he likes his best friend. Fuck. _Fuck_.


End file.
